Comments on: The job done, Astrid buggers off

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:29:22 +0000

Why over and out?? I think I just want argue with you on some views on which we differ. In a calm and civilised manner…

Something is really twisted in here ta!! What does Ms Darmanini connection with Alfred Sant has to do with the whole thing? Ok, you know the background and opinions of these people and I agree I know nothing. What I know is their arguments and yours and I’m sorry to say, their arguments won over yours. And the Prime minister choose theirs not yours, judging on his decisions. Ifs and buts are superfluous. Your civil engineering knowledge is more or less the same as her no, or you think you have the divine gift of knowing all?! Don’t dare the comparison with Mr lowell please. Its totally out of context!

And if, I repeat if, they have a hidden agenda as you are trying to state, I think it is so obvious that you have your agenda too.

[Daphne – 1. Mary Darmanin and Helen ‘Caruana Galizia’ Tomkins are two people obsessed with Alfred Sant. Therefore it is reasonable to conclude that when they campaign against what they perceive to be government initiatives involving certain people, their motivation might very well be patriotic but it is reasonable to conclude that malice is also a motivating factor. 2. Their arguments did not win over mine, or those of others. I made no arguments, nor did anyone else. The field was left wide open to them to feed the gullible public one side of the story. 3. The prime minister did not choose their arguments. You clearly have a very low level of understanding of politics. 4. My civil engineering knowledge is zero. The difference between me and Astrid is that I know this. I am, however, a fairly intelligent person who grasps the fact that the skyscrapers and vast underground chambers I see wherever I travel have been built and excavated, therefore it cannot be possible that the Sceberras promontory is the one place on earth where one cannot build something large below ground level. 5. The comparison with Norman (not mister, please, because that denotes respect) Lowell is not out of place but entirely in order. Astrid is trading on precisely the same unquestioning gullibility and overt malice that infests Maltese society.]

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:22:28 +0000

“To answer your question: she is my husband’s first cousin and thus also a first cousin and VERY close ally of Alfred Sant’s foolishly and pathetically still-obsessed never-was-wife”

Why do you have to be so personal in your arguments? Shame, shame, shame…..

[Daphne – Because we’re talking about persons, not pieces of furniture. Persons, unlike pieces of furniture, have agendas, background, motivation and IQ. All of these are factors that must be taken into account when assessing a person’s credibility. I imagine that when you assess the opinion of Norman Lowell, you will take into account the fact that he is an unstable racist. And I also imagine that if I were to describe his views as being those of an unstable racist, you will not accuse me of being ‘personal’ but accurate – just as I am accurate in this case. You overlook the fact that that these are people I KNOW, whose background I KNOW, and so I am in a position to put their ‘opinions’ into context while you are not. It strikes me as blatantly obvious that if Alfred Sant’s still-besotted ‘never was wife’ (that’s the tragedy of annulments in the absence of divorce) campaigns against the St John’s museum and the members of the cathedral foundation – or rather, some members – there might be a rather deeper reason than her civil engineering knowledge which causes her to fear the consequences of excavating beneath St John’s Square. Over and out.]

By: P Shaw

P Shaw — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:10:18 +0000

Speaking of Zmienijitna, it is worth noting that it is headed by the same individual, who is also in charge of the identical AD Youths and Graffiti, all being left wing delusional groups. The same guy, Michael Briguglio, voted for the MLP in March 2008 (he admitted this on Xarabank), while representing AD on the Sliema local council.

I can’t figure out the logic behind creating so many organisations (whose negligible membership is limited to the same handful of individuals) to deliver the same message. Maybe their aim is to issue multiple press releases giving the false impression that a number of organisations are opposing a particular issue, when in reality it is just one individual.

[Daphne – That’s it, exactly, and they’re accepted at face value by the press.]

By: Tonio Farrugia

Tonio Farrugia — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:13:28 +0000

I wonder whether the petition with the “1,500 signatures” is the same one which is available online on the FAA’s website. The latter shows a total of 695 signatures, with many duplicate names and quite a bunch of “anonymous” signatories.

[Daphne – I can’t believe the press didn’t bother to find out. I’ll ask for a copy, and plough through it. Mine will be an expert opinion on whether those people really exist and whether they live where they say they do.]

By: Ding Dong!

Ding Dong! — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 21:05:49 +0000

Graham C / Daphne – Issa gibtuni inse’!

The FAA got my email address, though I DO know how that happened. Around the same time, I started receiving AD newsletters via email. The AD newsletters only stopped when I asked them to remove me from their mailing list, which I had never asked to be on in the first place.

Looking back, I don’t think it was a coincidence at all. I just never made the connection.

[Daphne – Of course! All the FAA stuff I receive comes from somebody called David Camilleri, who used to send me campaigning letters from an AD Ghawdex email address in the last election campaign. Now he’s sending me FAA, AD and Zmienijietna – The Voice of the Left things – the latter being the communist party of Malta, or what’s left of it. Tal-biki.]

By: Chris II

Chris II — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:03:13 +0000

@ Grace

Projects under the EU structural funds have to undergo a very strict selection and negotiation processes that have to satisfy both the government requirements (as indicated in its National Reform Programme as well as in the Operation Programmes) as well as the Commission (all projects have to be audited by the Commission).

As for Astrid Vella, she is also misquoting the regulations – the St John Foundation is considered a public equivalent body (in actual fact a level higher than an NGO as far as Structural Funds are concerned). So they had all the right to put in an application.

I would invite Ms Astrid Vella to have the courage to come up with her own proposal, to write it, defend it and then spend the next four years managing it – and then she would be in position to comment. And by the way, she will also have to accept to be legally and FINANCIALLY responsible for the project for up to five years after its termination of the project, in her own personal capacity. This is what the project leader (presumably either Ms de Giorgio or Mons Calleja) had to accept – that really means being personally responsible for EUR14 million, which is no joke.

By: Graham C.

Graham C. — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:43:59 +0000

@Grace,
I’m a university student and I’ve never received anything from David Casa, unless hes with the chaplaincy. PN, AD and MLP never sent me any emails. They did, however, send me requests & messages on social networking sites (which is perfectly reasonable since they are open and public), but although there is an FFA facebook group (which I declined to join), they still somehow managed to get my email (from a malicious data-mining programme) and sent me newsletters dating back from the beginning (when I didn’t care about the subject, in fact I had archived them and then forgot about them).
Email is strictly personal.

The only political emails I get are from Norman Lowell and his Viva Malta site. I had subscribed to them in 2005 and never bothered to unsubscribe. In any case at least he makes me laugh; Astrid Vella makes me cringe.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to replies from Mrs Astrid Vella and the FFA. A conversation is a two-way street after all. I haven’t closed the book on this one yet.

By: David Buttigieg

David Buttigieg — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:34:38 +0000

Alas, every family has some!

By: Mario Debono

Mario Debono — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:31:53 +0000

I have an even better one. Xidja f’ sorm il-patri.

[Daphne – When my grandfather saw that in my school textbook of Qwiel Maltin, he had to be restrained from ringing the headmistress in protest. Vulgar idioms were mainly what kept us conscious during Maltese lessons.]

By: Alfred Zahra de Domenico

Alfred Zahra de Domenico — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:09:45 +0000

fully in the picture. What the experts actually said about St. Johns.
EXPERTS’ REPORTS:
Heritage Advisory Committee Board Minutes for Case Number : PA00168/08
Doc 02
Estratt mill-Minuti tal-Laqgha nru.120 tal-KKWK tas-17 ta’ Ottubru 2006
1. Hwejjeg Ohra
2.1 Valletta Kon-Kattidral ta’ San Gwann
Is-Sur Joe Magro Conti ghamel prezentazzjoni lill-kumitat ta’ progett imhejji mill-Fondazzjoni tal-Konkattidral ta’ San Gwann ghall-holqien ta’ spazju gdid ghall-Muzew ta’ l-istess Kattidral.
Il-kumitat ra ukoll u studja dokument intitolat Specifications for a Design Brief for New Museum Complex. Is-Sur Magro Conti wera t-thassib tieghu, u l-kumitat unanimanent qabel mieghu, dwar l-impatti negattivi ta’ dan il-progett, li principalment huma; (1) ir-riskju car ghal1-istruttura tal-Kattidral ikkawzat mit-tahfir konsiderevoli hafna li huwa propost Ii jsir filqrib;
(2) li dan johloq precedent ghall-domandi simili fl-inhawi immedjati, u (3) ir-riskju Ii jigu disturbati xi reperti storici u arkeologici li jistghujinsabu fl-area li se tigi skavata.
Michael Ellul
A/Vici-Chairman
TRANSLATION Doc 02:
Extract from the Minutes of Meeting no. 120 of KKWK of 17th October 2006
1. Other Matters
2.1. Valletta, St John’s Co-Cathedral
Mr. Joe Magro Conti presented the Heritage Advisory Committee (HAC) with the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation projects to create new space for the museum of the same Cathedral.
The Committee also saw and studied a document entitled Specifications for a Design Brief for New Museum Complex. Mr. Magro Conti expressed his concern, and the Committee unanimously agreed with him, about the negative impacts of this project, which are principally:
(1) the clear risk to the structure of the Cathedral posed by the considerable excavation that is proposed to take place nearby;
(2) the precedent being created for similar demands in the immediate vicinity, and
(3) the risk of disturbing some historic or archaeological remains which may be found in the area to be excavated.
Michael Ellul
A/Vici -Chairman
Doc 03
Comments by HAC re document ‘Specifications for the Design Brief for the New Museum Complex’
30.10.06
1] HAC understands the need to modernize the current Cathedral Museum and to have enough exhibition space to exhibit all the artifacts in the possession of the cathedral including those in storage.
2] HAC is however very much concerned that this very large underground Museum will create logistical problems for Valletta both because of the excavation itself [finds, underground tunnels, services, base of buildings etc] of the work i.e. the damage to the image of such a central part of the city.
3] HAC is very concerned with the effect that the excavations may have on the cathedral structure in general and on its paintings and other fabric in particular.
4] Not enough evidence has been given to explain the need for such a large space, nor has any explanation been given as to what use the current museum space will be devoted to.
5] There is a very major concern as to the placing of air conditioning and other services in the area which would be hard to camouflage.
6] Such a proposal should include clear and specific ‘traffic’ flow around the museum. Such a proposal should include a visitors’ management plan for the cathedral.
Dr Albert Ganado, Chairman, HAC
Doc 04
MEMORANDUM
From: Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee
To: Director General, MEPA
Extract from the Minutes of Meeting no.235 of the Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee held on 28 August 2007.
The CHAC studied the 6th Draft of the Development Brief for a Visitor’s Centre and new exhibition spaces in St John’s Co Cathedral and discussed the project on the basis of the information contained in this document. The committee noted that the project for the creation of new expedition space for the museum entails two major interventions:
1. the excavations in St John Square up to façade of St John’s Co Cathedral
and:
2. The roofing over of the cemetery courtyard on Merchant Street and the elimination of its current use.
With regard to Point 1 the Committee, together with IHM, are of the opinion that any excavation in the immediate surroundings of the Cathedral is extremely dangerous to the structural stability of the Cathedral itself, and the proposal is therefore not acceptable, also in view of the fact that it seems that there has been no thorough and scientific study of the condition of the foundations, the existing underground structures and spaces and the nature of the geology of the area.
Regarding Point 2, the Committee feels that the sacred nature of the cemetery should be safeguarded and respected and that the proposed uses are not compatible with the important historical and religious nature of the site.
The Committee would also like to point out that the Development Brier does not indicate the location of spaces required for the air-conditioning plant, electrical sub-station and services which are necessarily considerable in a project of this scale.
Michael Ellul
A/Vici-Chairman
PA168/08 – CHAC mtg 349 bid-data 29/07/08
Illum saret prezentazzjoni taz-zewg progetti godda alternattivi rigward l-applikazzjoniet
(PA167/08 & PA168/08) dwar il-Kon Katidral ta’ San Gwann fejn kienu prezenti Ms Cynthia Degiorgio, Mr Paul Attard u il-perit Bencini ghall-applikant u Mr Mark Anthony Mifsud ghall- SCH. Il-kumitat jirrakkomanda li il-case officer ghandu jikkonsulta l-EIA Team dwar jekk dan il-progett jikkwalifikax ghal-EIA jew xi studju iehor fejn ghandhom jigu ikkonsidrati b’mod partikolari, l-oggezzjonijiet tas-CHAC fiz-zewg minuti immarkati Doc 2/3/4 fil- PA167/08 & PA168/08. F’kas ta’ dan, il-Kumitat qed jitlob lill-Mepa jistabbilixxi it-Terms of Reference biex isiru l-istudji. L-SCH ghandhom jibghatu il-kummenti taghhom bil-miktub.
Translation:
PA 168/08 – Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee (CHAC) meeting dated 29.07.08
Today the two new alternative projects re. the applications (PA167/08 & PA 168/08) for the St John’s Co-Cathedral were presented. Ms. Cynthia Degiorgio, Mr. Paul Attard and Architect Bencini were present for the applicant, and Mr. Mark Anthony Mifsud for for the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. The Committee recommends that the Case Officer
should consult the EIA Team as to whether this project qualifies for an EIA or other studies where the CHAC objections marked Doc 2/3/4 in PA167/08 & PA168/08 are to be specifically considered. In this case, the Committee asks MEPA to establish Terms of Reference in order to carry out these studies. The Superintendence asks to be sent the comments in writing.
LEGAL LEVEL OF PROTECTION given to St John’s Co-Cathedral
Grade 1: Buildings of outstanding architectural or historical interest that shall be preserved in their entirety. Demolition or alterations which impair the setting or change the external or internal appearance, including anything contained within the curtilage of the building, will not be allowed. Any interventions allowed must be directed to their scientific restoration
and rehabilitation. Internal structural alterations will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances where this is paramount for reasons of keeping the building in active use.
GEOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF THE ST JOHN’S CO-CATHEDRAL PROJECT
The problem is related to permissible risk in view of the importance of St John’s. The following are the geological problems of excavation:
1. Tension cracks in rocks (technically called joints) would be expected to be common at the top of Sceberras Hill where St John’s is located.
2. Joints (tensional features) in rock may be expected to decrease with depth, because of greater confining pressure. However, the structural geology of Valletta is also affected by numerous faults of Late Miocene age which are poorly studied. These are clearly visible wherever there are rock outcrops in Valletta. These faults have created stresses in the rocks which release jointing. An example of deep jointing is found in the tunnel linking the Floriana car park to the waterfront. The roof of the tunnel shows classic cases of wedge failure of rock which occurred during or after tunnelling, indicating the presence of joints even at deep levels.
3. Increasing depth of excavation increases risk of failure sometimes at an exponential trend. Deep excavation increases the likelihood of encountering joints. In addition, deep excavation can ‘daylight’ large blocks that become loose, and may remove ‘keystones’ with catastrophic consequences to nearby buildings.
4. If during excavation, a sizeable joint oriented in a particular direction (there are elaborate techniques to determine this) is exposed, an entire wedge of rock may fail, causing catastrophic damage to the Cathedral. There have been several instances when this happened in Malta, e.g. during excavation of Sliema car park, in St Paul’s Bay, when two women died buried under rubble etc…
5. Globigerina Limestone is a soft rock and may deform in a brittle as well as ductile manner.
Even if we are spared mass failure, creating a void will alter stresses in the rock and cause slow deformation which will increase damage to the Cathedral structure in the form of tension cracks (kunsenturi) in the church. This may ruin Mattia Preti’s painting on the vault.
6. The excavation will alter the local hydrology ie. pathways taken by rain water in rock and may result in a localised temporary build up of water along the walls of the completed (damp sealed) underground structure. This increase in humidity will be disastrous for the Cathedral, causing increased salt crystallisation.
7. Core sampling, the system commonly used by MEPA is totally inadequate for a case like this as a fissure or joint can easily be missed. Similarly, more high-tech radar techniques cannot penetrate beyond a certain depth. The only reliable method of geological survey in cases such as these is an investigation trench that goes down the FULL DEPTH of the final excavation,
however a four-storey trench is very unsafe and no geologist will risk his life to go down such a trench. Such trenches are usually about 5m deep, at most.
These issues are very delicate and cannot be concluded overnight e.g., it took years of study before a ground intervention on the leaning Tower of Pisa was concluded and surely St John’s Cathedral is as precious to us as the Tower of Pisa. A superficial approach such as core sampling would be ludicrous and would ignore the complex and intense population of faults in the area. We cannot have that at St John’s, especially since this is a masonry building unlike modern buildings with reinforced structures.
In conclusion I believe the level of risk being taken is too high and a risk assessment seems to be lacking. I am not at all convinced about the effectiveness of MEPA’s EIA methodology for site investigation prior to excavation.
Peter Gatt,
Geologist

[Daphne – I’m so glad you posted this, Alfred, because it saved me retyping it. 1. Joe Magro Conti was at university with me, in the same course and at the same time, which means that his opinion is as expert as mine is. We have the same upper second class degree with the difference that I was on the Dean’s List and he wasn’t. 2. Michael Ellul is a lovely gentleman to whom I have spoken about heritage sites like Fort St Angelo, but he has been retired for many years now. 3. Peter Gatt’s report is a joke, full of hypotheses and ‘mays’, and it’s actually not a report at all, but the sort of opinion piece that I write – you know, what Peter Gatt thinks, as opposed to what Peter Gatt reports back after having investigated the situation thoroughly. And I say this not as a newspaper columnist, but as Daphne Caruana Galizia BA(Hons) in archaeology, fellow student and university contemporary of your expert Joe Magro Conti.]